weston



PATENTED FEB. 2, 1864.

J. W, WESTON. ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

UNITED STATES PATENT @einem JAuEs W. WESTON, or NEW vous, N; Y.

IMPRCVEMENT iN AHTlFIClAL LlMBS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. L4 56, dated l-ebi'unr- 2, ld-l.

' Artificial Limbs; and I do hereby deelarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description lof the said invention, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification wherein- Figure 1 is a vertical section of said socket,

' and Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same.

Similar marks of'reference denote the same parts.

The object of my said inventief` is to furnish a means for fitting any size or shape of stump,

'and to accommodate the length of limb. Said invention consists iu an air cushion surroundin g the stump, and pressinguniformly upon the sides'of the stump by the action of the air forced into said cushion, and by. this means the artificial limb is kept from immediate con! tact with the stump, and hence the jar in the act of walking is relieved, the lilnb cannotv change its position because of the sidewise compressiomaud does notrequire as many straps as heretofore employed to hold it in place.

I also make use of a thigh-conformer that can be adjusted to the shape of the groin, so as vto cause the weight of the person to take .au even and comfortable bearing upon the (the same as in Letters Patent granted Jan-y uary 6,1863, to T. F. Englebrecht, R. Boehleu, and W. Staehlen.) I, however, stiien thesame and prevent the sheet metal splitting in the direction of the corrugations by introducing metallic rings at b, soldered or braced Ato the inside of the socket.

At the upper end of the socket is a metallic ring, c, around the upper edge of which a cy liudrical strip or bandA of india-rubber, d, is

placed, said cylindrical or pipe-shaped strip of rubber being out in longltiulinnilyor molded with a groove, so as to set over the edge of this rin g c. This rubber strip is secured by a covering of leather or other substance, screwed lor otherwiseattaehed tothe ring, and a lining, fe, is attached at the same point and passes down inside the socket. c

The rubber band d around the upper end ci this ring cbecornes an easy cushion for the body or thigh to rest upon, and the ring c is attached by screws to the socket a', as at i i. The screw i may be altered and set into the other hole provided for it, as at 1, so that the length of the leg can be varied at this point to correspond with the length of the otherV leg, particularly with a view to attain the proper length between the linee vand thigh joints. This ring c, furthermore, may be adjusted so as to raise or depress the front or buck edges'to conform the same to the shape of the thigh at the groin and to secure the said ring in place Awhen 'adjusted the screws 2 are provided in vertical slots in the upper lend oi the socket o. (See Fig. 2.)

My air-cushion, surrounding the stump of the limb, is shown at f, andv is' attached by lacing at 3 to the ringo, or otherwise secured to the socket. lThis air=cushion is to be made of india-rubber cloth, so as `to be air-tigh t, and a tube, h, led out at a hole in the socket a is provided with the usual screw-stopper at the end, by means of which the cushion is intl-ated.

The cushion being confinedI within the socket causes a compression upon the limb when the said inflation takes place., and the pressure is' sufiicient to cause the cushion to take an even bearing Vagainst the sides of the stump, in some cases eiieeting the attachment ot' the artificial limb Without the use o'f strapsg but straps ma y be used, iidesired. This aircushion may be made ot an annular shape, or it may be a properly-shaped cushion rolled up, so

`that-.the lstump passes into the same while contained in the soci-tet.

The band of rubber d,for1ning a cushion at the upper end ofthe socket, may be made oi' a. pipe contined to its place by a covering, and then inflated With air, The section Fig. 25 illustrates this device. The inflation may be eceeted by a separate tube andlnouth-piece, or it may be by a connecting-tube to the cushion f.

-l What I. claim, und dosix'o to secure by Let 3. The adjustable ring c,ittcd substantially ters Patent', isv as specified, to form a thigl1-conformer,as ser- 1. An air-cushion between the stump and forth.

socket, substantially as and for the purposes Dated December 16,- 1863. specified. v

. T 2. The cylindrical band or pipe d, of indio'- u WESTN rubber, applied at the end of tho artificial limb Witnesses to form a cushion for the weight. to rest upon, CHAS. H. SMITH,

as set forth, Trios. GEO. HAROLD. 

